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Terra Concord
The Terra Concord was formed from the majority of ex-New Union members that separated during the New Union's Second Schism in October 7th of 2022. It was established within Toronto Canada (PC47) some time after General White (then known as 00707), the rest of 08292's former Divisional team, and the Valkyr orchestrated mass communication throughout the New Union to part ways. Following Commander 08292's refusal of their ultimatum, they felt separation was their only option to ensure their message. Many of the ideals of the New Union were almost immediately shed away. With most Proto-Class, Valkyr and Civilian parties all sharing mutual views, the Terra Concord's basic ideals already existed before it was officially created. Immediately, 00707 worked with the Divisional team in order to address and coagulate a structure for the Terra Concord. Agreeing that there would not be a single individual to make decisions above else, they formed a Council. This structure has served them well enough into the present day, as the Terra Concord has remained largely stable, and continues to pursue the defeat of the Infinite Dominion in every capacity available. Statistics and Numbers Rank and Hierarchy *Concord Hearth Institution **Hearth Medical **Advanced Logistics *Concord Tertiary Administration **Terra Market **General Labor *Concord Armed Forces **Divisions ***DELTA Combat Division ***AERO Recon Division ***HORIZON Medical Division ***ATLAS Technical Division ***The Trailblazers The Council The creating of the council, composed currently of the four Divisional leaders, was not discussed prior to the second schism, but was proposed by 00707 and agreed upon by the other three leaders on the first day of the Concords formation. Perhaps a knee-jerk reaction to their former Commander, this would ensure that no one person would have sole control over the direction of the Concord. While the four divisionals largely trusted one another and their individual abilities, they were now more than well aware that once trusted people are subject to change over time. Any major issues subject to debate could be brought to the Council Chambers and first discussed, and then, if necessary, voted on. While each Divisional leader currently represents the interest of their respective division, as it stands, there is no figurehead for the non-military population, and the prospect of a fifth council member is being considered to represent these individuals. Along with this move to more evenly divide power in the faction, came the sentiment of additional transparency and cohesion between the four leaders. The former New Union often kept knowledge of operations and projects on a more than 'need to know basis', with 08292 having the ability to mask his activities, for better or for worse, from his divisionals. 00707 moved to eliminate this practice in the Concords leadership, and established along with the formation of the council that all Division activities would be view-able by all Division leaders. Governance The Concord government and power structure is somewhat difficult to strictly define on it's various levels. At it's highest level, the Concord Council, one might say the Concord is a militaristic oligarchy, led by military leaders in affairs both militaristic and civil. The Council itself is a sort of democracy, where major decisions are put to discussion and vote by it's current four members, though these four members also have the freedom to make independent decisions for their respective CAF division. For some time, the possibility of a fifth and sixth member of the council has been open. One representative for the Valkyr, and one for the general non-military populace. However, no such individuals have been appointed, volunteered, or voted upon by these respective groups. In the absence of Council members, certain CAF captains have been authorized as backup leaders, with emergency powers to make larger decisions. For Concord cities and areas with major military presence, high ranking CAF officers tend to take on the old world role of mayor or governor. In mostly civilian areas, government officials are appointed to positions by the CAF based on merit, past experience, popular local opinion, and any relative connections to the area in which they'd hold office. With enough local protest, these officials would be considered for replacement. To hold large elections and ensure they are fair and free is a somewhat difficult and time consuming endeavor. There are no guarantees of voting rights within the Concord, with laws being passed by select groups, and officials being appointed in a similar fashion. This is largely related to the current climate of earth and the constant threat of war with the Dominion, where waiting on bureaucracy, voting results, and committee approval could be deadly. However, it's by no means difficult for Concord civilians to write to those who govern them, at levels both great and small, and in trying to apply the Concords core ideals, these are weighed appropriately in decision making. Some officials will open up the option to vote on certain matters, which is fairly common in non-military affairs, but this is optional. For laws regarding labor, trade, vehicle operation, firearm ownership, and business, there are "National" laws which apply anywhere in the Concord and can only be negated with proper permits, and "Regional" laws which only apply in a certain area. The Concord in general is about as invasive with its list of laws as a typical center-left leaning State in the United States prior to the Great Rift War. The closer one gets to a main city or military fort, the heavier the laws and regulations become. The more rural an area is, the easier it is to, for example, obtain and carry firearms and operate heavy duty vehicles. The Tertiary Administration, working in tandem with the CAF, has also worked to put forth laws that ensure fair working conditions, and the inspection if in and out-bound trade goods. History A Union Divided The growing sentiment of incompatibility between the two prominent lines of thinking had been long growing within the New Union. Rose Darion in particular was greatly influential in swaying the masses to take action and at last part ways with the New Union, as without a formal press, her deeds against the IDn, as well as previous actions against her by 08292, tended to be heavily embellished the farther the stories traveled. As such, when the news of the incident between her and 08292 in PC33 reached the public, it spread rapidly and wildly throughout the densely populated city, and was spread further by the communications available to lower ranking enlisted. 00707, while silently aware of the growing rift, was not initially all that interested in doing much about it. For those that asked, she often felt that any drastic actions would lead the New Union into civil war, one it would not recover from, and perhaps the end of humanity altogether with no one left standing to defeat the Dominion. She would often rationalize some of the harsher actions of 08292 and other arch-type units, or explain that it was perhaps better to tolerate or work around them rather than take on the risks of separation. What she found is that she constantly had to stand by and watch, or even orchestrate, the harsh and debatably unfair treatment of those she had come to know as something like friends. She was also often at odds with the JUDGE division she was assigned to be in charge of, making changes and decisions large and small that angered the various arch-type JUDGE units. Having to betray the ones she cared for, carrying out orders she did not believe in, and holding up a status-quo she cared little for left 00707's ears and mind open for someone to come and change it - and change it someone did. Liveth, who 00707 was not actually all that closed to, spoke privately with 00707 at length, appealing to her sense of morality, justice, and referencing states and governments of the past. One such thing he said was that he no longer wished to have any doubt as to whether or not he was with "the good guys", doing the right thing. Being a former Dominion Sectoral and not quite yet forgiving herself for it - this particular sentiment struck 00707 deeply. With Liveths words stirring in her mind, 00707 could no longer merely ignore the wrongs Liveth spoke of, and that she herself witnessed. Using the authority and powers of the right hand rank 08292 had given her - she began to plot against him in secret, making slow and careful outreach and advances to those she had come to know and trust. To build her network of sympathizers, she entered into careful conversation with those she was not quite sure of, snuffing out the words that would suggesting their standing or beliefs before telling or offering them anything substantial about her plans. She did not wish for civil war, and knew she could not live with herself if she were the one to directly cause such a thing. She meticulously placed individuals and groups in positions over key assets, such as vehicle bays, communications centers, and supply stores, ensuring that these areas would be under her temporary control when the signal was given to break from the New Union. Given the constant monitoring for treasonous activities by JUDGE, this proved risky, difficult, and certainly may have been impossible on such a large scale if 00707 was not in fact in charge of JUDGE herself. As things fell into place over time, 00707 herself approaches the Divisionals of the New Union directly, one by one, and then as a whole. The then divisionals of GRID and HORIZON were agreeable enough, perhaps a bit too agreeable, nodding along with what 00707 spoke of and her intent to do something about it. The one 00707 approached with the most caution and reservation was the SHADOW divisional, who she knew had a level of respect for 08292. Regardless of her worries, the SHADOW DvL seemed to see eye to eye with her. The next step was to approach 08292 - together. A high command meeting was held, and the concerns over 08292s particular actions against Rose Darion were brought to the table. 00707 and the SHADOW DvL did a majority of the speaking, but inevitably, 08292 considered the topic a non issue and closed the meeting early, storming out of the room after a time. The next time the divisionals approached 08292 not for a meeting but with an ultimatum. One that involved a certain level of guaranteed changes within the New Union, and a public address from 08292, apologizing for wrongs done and ensuring steps that would reshape the New Union from the inside out. 08292 refused this, and as a result, 00707 gave the signal to her sympathizers to begin what she had been orchestrating. Region by region, sympathizers seized control of dozens of locations and facilities, holding those they expected to violently resist at gunpoint. Broadcast and communication centers were temporarily seized, and their operators began to stream a broadcast pre-recorded by 00707 quickly addressing recent issues, and offering to any and all the opportunity to part with her and the divisionals to make something better - to be free of the things the New Union made them afraid of. In a remarkably short amount of time, a sizable number of resources and assets were seized, loaded onto vehicles, airships, and trains, and began to trek northward, strapped with supplies. The specifics and small details of this enormous logistical feat were not actually orchestrated by 00707, but another JUDGE unit whom she came to trust - one later known in the Concord as Divisional Captain Thatcher. Acting as a sort of communications specialist in JUDGE primarily for monitoring internal transmissions, Thatcher had a very in-depth understanding of the importance of logistics and communications - especially in warfare. 00707 anticipated that at least half of the New Union would come with her, so her and others tried to take a matching amount of assets and supplies. There were variables that affected this, such as more people coming than anticipated, and minor failures in a handful of places to successfully carry out previously designated plans. While it cannot be said that no shots were fired at all, the actual day of the Second Schism itself, to the great relief of 00707 and others, was in fact bloodless. This was almost certainly in part due to the orders of 08292, who perhaps could have easily activated some kind of emergency contingency to assault the sympathizers or interrupt their plans - but chose or was pressured not to. From here, the massive migrating group who were the would-be Terra Concord set forth toward PC47 in Canada. Constructing the Capital A handful of those who planned to depart from the New Union knew of PC47 and planned to use it before the Second Schism had actually occurred. When it did, a mass migration ensued, utilizing any and all transportation assets seized on the day of the Second Schism. Fortunately for those in the brand new Concord, the climate during the journey was fair and forgiving. Nearly all who underwent the journey made it into the Capital, and reconstruction efforts began right away to accommodate the new faction. For the initial months of the Concord, there was quite a monumental logistical struggle. Not enough buildings could be deemed safe or restored to structural stability right away, and many slept in tent cities. Buildings that were structurally sound often had temporary issues with electricity and plumbing. Winter began to set in, and for a month, members of the civilian personnel and CAF alike suffered in the cold. The winters here in the North were a fair deal harsher than most in the Concord were accustomed to, and yet, despite the tents, occasional food shortage, shared restrooms and infrequent baths - spirits remained remarkably high. The former Divisional leaders and other high ranks found themselves down in the streets and sidewalks, planning, walking, and working with those who had otherwise never seen them either in person, or ever, before. To the dismay of Concord security personnel - General White, still known then as 00707, chose to remain in and operate from some of the tent cities and overflow camps until a majority of the work on the city was completed. Rose Darion in particular accompanied White during this time. By doing this, several thousand people were able to meet one of the Concords new leaders, and one of it's Valkyrie 'folk-heros', as the Concord established itself. A strong sense of unity between all classes and ranks in the Concord warmed these first months, and many remained motivated by the sense of truly helping create something that would be a new kind of good in the world. Once people were reasonably housed, fed, and perimeters of security were established - several other changes swept over the Concord. The divisions and ranking structures were renamed, the council was created, the past uniforms of the New Union were recycled - and the Concord officially realized it's own identity. First Contact with Paradigm FOTR Island At the end of an operation in Debalk, Indiana, the detonation of a dark energy reactor plunged the Concords Fire-team 1 onto a string of islands in the Atlantic Ocean via a portal anomaly. The fire-team consisted of Liveth, Agnost (Rose Darion), White, Parr, Welland, and the Elkros AI known as ADAM. Initially, the fire-team simply tried to discover where they were, and survive until they could devise a way to return home. They soon realized they were not alone on the island, discovering first a Riftient presence, and then signs that the Dominion was nearby. A Dominion tower emerged from the sea a short ways from the main island, and dispatched ground teams which hunted for Fire-team 1. Dodging and fighting both kinds of threat, the fire-team found themselves again displaced by a portal anomaly which was located in a stretch of trees. It was here they were placed on a Federal Off-world Threat Response facility. Again inhabited by hostile riftients, members of the Fire-team fought and traversed their way through the facility, briefly encountering Mira Nystrom. With her assistance, the Fire-team learned of the facilities purpose. It was designed to house and power a portal to the Dominion Throne-world - and send a massive bomb through said portal. While the project was never fully completed, the portal, and the potential to connect earth once again to the Throne-world, still remained, and it soon became clear that the Dominion would be upon the facility to seize and utilize this technology. It was Rose Darion who stepped forward, offering to do what was necessary and sacrifice herself to completely destroy the facilities power source, causing an explosion that would wipe out the facility entirely. The rest of Fire-team 1 took to the sea and fled on the Tunneler EOV, which had been converted into an aquatic vehicle by Liveth. Upon their departure - they witnessed what appeared to be the remains of Rose Darion being extracted from smoldering debris, and falling into Dominion hands. From here, the Fire-team would undergo a journey to the east coast of North America, where they regained communications with the Concord, and were returned to the Concord capital. Skytower Assault Largely in response to witnessing Agnost's body being excavated by the Dominion, General White returned to the Concord Capital and proposed that a strike force be dispatched back to the Atlantic at once. The reason being that alive or dead, Rose Darion and the technology she was made of was far too valuable to be left in Dominion hands. Also, the Skytower was the first true Dominion installation witnessed by the Concord, and White phrased it's existence as an opportunity to take the fight to the IDn. After relaying these ideas to the Council and getting their approval, White, Walters (the general of HORIZON), and Winsworth (the general of ATLAS), deployed to the coast of Florida with a sizable strike force and several aerial vehicles, touching down and making a base camp on a beach head. The force was entirely composed of standard CAF soldiers, and no Valkyr. The Valkyr had already had opportunities as of yet to prove themselves in combat against the Dominion - but the standard CAF had not. For this operation, White wanted to test the Concords standard army, primarily DELTA - and that's just what was done. For what felt like an eternity, LATC patrols soared over the Atlantic, scanning dozens of islands, trying to find any trace of the Dominion Spire. Repeatedly, they came home empty handed. As time went on and success seemed no closer than on the very first day of the operation - many questioned the true importance of the mission altogether, and just how important it could be to remain here. After all, three Generals were away from the Capital, and could surely be better placing their time somewhere else. White was rather quick to dismiss notions of giving up, repeating that this operation was still vitally important. Some wondered if the entire affair was motivated by personal matters, such as White feeling guilty about the death of Agnost. With tensions mounting and soldiers becoming restless - finally a breakthrough occurred, and the Skytower was at last spotted. Concord boarding parties shot skyward and converged on the Skytowers location. LATCs contended with the towers air defenses, and breached the Skytowers hull wherever possible. Landing on platforms and repelling down into breaches, dozens of CAF teams boarded the Skytower. One such team was composed of the three Concord Generals, and a couple dozen other soldiers of various branches. White's team fought through a section of the Skytower, discovering that something else had been here just before them, killing and disabling Autonetics and other Dominion personnel. After encountering a Titan-class NOMAD and being forced to retreat, Whites team fought through various rooms and made handfuls of discoveries until reaching the upper Skytower control room. By this point, the Skytower was suffering extreme internal damage, and seemed destined to explode, crash, or perhaps both. Here, White was separated from the majority of her team, and the now smaller group of White and a few Council Guards proceeded ahead. They encountered the peculiar Dominion hybrid which had been wreaking havoc in the Skytower alongside the Concords assault. The figure attacked White, and, what happened to White and the Council Guards next is not explicitly clear. General Walters and Winsworth relayed that they were taking escape pods out of the Skytower as it was collapsing, but shortly lost contact with the Concords main force afterward. It is currently assumed they either died, or were dumped into the Atlantic, where the Concord is still searching for them. The Skytower, and White, would not be seen again until it a time later. Meeting the Sultanate During the time of the Skytower assault operation, a small, unofficial Concord team, lead by Valkyr Captain Cassandra Welland and accompanied by Sentinel Elliot Parr and former Dominion Commander 30082, made their way north at the request of a young girl named Moria Vanders. Moria had found Parr in the Concord capital, suggested she had a connection to the former DCA rogue Phantom, and handed Parr a map, pleading that he come northward to where the map marked. Parr did go, and Welland followed, also catching the attentions of 30082. They journeyed up into North Sudbury, leading them to a frigid, rural area, where they found a cabin hidden away in a valley and resting by the edge of a frozen lake. Here they were greeted by Moria, as well as a few other individuals. Phantom, however, was not there at the moment. They explained that they were a group of information and data collectors, who ventured out into the world to uncover lost archives of information with the intention of preserving it for the future. When Phantom did arrive at the cabin, she gave an explanation of what exactly she needed help with, and why she had Moria find Parr specifically. For some time, the "Archivists" as Welland had come to call them, had been engaged in a small war spanning several hundred miles in patches across North America. They were being methodically hunted and killed by a violent group of mutants, specifically, insect men, headed by one "Sharif Akezera." Admitting that the Archivists were not warriors and not trained or meant to wage a war - Phantom needed help, either in reaching understanding with these mutants, or destroying them. Having payed attention to the particular towns raided and kinds of people this Akezera seemed to seek out and kill, Phantom was able to guess on a likely next location that Akezera would appear in. She gave Welland and Parr all the information she had on a town known as Channing Valley, lead by a former US Senator - Leeroy Channing. Reluctantly allowing Moria to come along, the group of four set off to Minnesota in a station wagon provided by the Archivists. Posing as drifters and mercenaries, Welland and the team searched for clues of Akezera attacking, Leeroy Channing and anything else of relevance. 30082 and Welland infiltrated Channing's security force gaining intel on him and his background. Meanwhile, Parr picked up on evidence of Akezera and the insectoids trail after finding residue left behind by one of them. Moria followed a mysterious miner after a failed attempt at leading Welland to his residence. After discovering a strange carapace-like door leading into a cavern near the miner's residence, Welland agreed to investigate it with Moria under the suspicion of it being Dominion related. Unfortunately for Welland, she was suddenly ambushed by several mutant insectoids including Sharif Akezera who captured her and locked her away in the depths of the cavern. Moria returned to 30082 and Parr informing them of the news, and they decided it was no better time than to reveal themselves to Senator Channing and form a strike force to get her back. After a long, gruesome and destructive battle, with the help of Channing's security force, 30082 and Parr managed to save Welland from Akezera's grip, securing her in Channing's bunker. This however, did not come without the cost of countless of Channing's security's lives along with the destruction of the Channing Manor and Channing Town. For a day or two, Akezera taunted Channing and the Terra Concord, urging to them that he infected Welland forcefully with the insectoid mutagen and would turn, killing them all. Eventually this forced Channing outside, accompanied by 30082, Parr and Welland after Akezera agreed that he would cure her in exchange for Channing telling them the dark truth about his past. Before Akezera could cure Welland, Moria, still outside, chose to try to save Welland by firing on Akezera, nearly causing Akezera to kill everyone there. Luckily for the Concord, Sultan Mudamir Aljashe, true leader of the Sultanate picked up on Akezera's misdeeds and after a lengthy battle, slayed Akezera before all of them for betraying established conduct. After the battle, Aljashe killed Senator Channing and undid the painful transformation Welland was experiencing, explaining Akezera "forsakened" the mutagen somehow. For reasons of his own, Aljashe offered to cure Welland fully of this condition which she did not willingly accept, but to do so, they would all have to trek westward, all the way to the Scorpion Sultanate's homeland in Utah. From there, a massive journey ensued for the group of four, now five. They faced Riftients, skin flaying Rend sandstorms, bandits, pirates, strange feral creatures mutated by Dominion Energies, and a horrific mass of sand tunneling tentacles known as the Sprawl. Part way through the journey, other members of the Concord, particularly Liveth and Guardian Kaminski, caught up to the group via LATC, and would follow them to the Sultanates homeland on the final stretch there. The Sultanate and Concord met in a semi-official capacity, and would wind up fighting together against the Dominion as the Skytower that the Concord had previously assaulted resurfaced in the sky, and crashed into the desert below. General White and a small number of surviving Concord boarding personnel would be recovered by the Terra Concord from the crashed Skytower. USR Conflict Various circumstances and events would result in the Terra Concord and Scorpion Sultanate battling the United States Remnant around the Skytower and over the Sultanates underground city. Following this, a second battle would occur in the sky, with the USR and Elkros engaging the Terra Concords aerial fleet. After these battles, the Terra Concord would pull back east after Concord General Laurent issued the USR an ultimatum. The battle's did not progress into all out prolonged warfare. Following this, the Sultanate would find itself relocating largely away from Utah, and pursuing closer relations with the Terra Concord. Also, due to various events regarding General White, the Terra Concord would find themselves in control of the damaged remains of the Skytower, then relocating it to the far North as it pulled itself from the desert and once more into the sky. New Union Outreach Some time during the USR conflict in and over Utah, General Laurent proposed that it would be a good idea to dispatch a diplomatic envoy to the New Union. This was largely due to receiving new information that the USR had armies deployed eastward toward New Union territories, and Laurent saw it as an opportunity to gain some good will with the New Union. He sent an outbound request for communications on a frequency he recalled from his days as a SHADOW DvL, and when the New Union later responded, it was General White who answered. Still a bit out of place from the various happenings surrounding her time in the Skytower, White managed to hold a reasonably respectable conversation with New Union Vanguard General James Hudson. A dialogue that really should have broken down into hostility and snide comments actually managed not to, and Hudson agreed, with certain conditions, to receive the envoy that Laurent had proposed. With orders from Laurent, DvC Thatcher picked "a few good chaps" from DELTA to act as diplomats, and had an unarmed LATC hastily painted a special gold and white color, before sending it to a designated New Union base. The envoy arrived in the base General Hudson was stationed in without issue. They touched down, and made their way on their own through a patch of swamps toward the main facility, until they (perhaps accidentally) bumped into a camouflaged SHADOW unit. This unit directed them the rest of the way to the facility, where they were scanned over, patted down, and brought inside by JUDGE units. The highest ranking soldier of the Concord envoy, 1C Novak, engaged in a somewhat tense and shaky dialogue with Hudson for a time, constantly under the distrustful looming eye of a pair of JUDGE guards. The facility was by no means a lavish place intended for the reception of "welcome" guests, and the majority of the speaking took place in a claustrophobic rusty bunker hallway. The aim of Novak, as per instruction by Laurent, was to warn the New Union of the incoming USR, explain that they were to be taken as a serious threat, and float the notion of the Concord and New Union possibly working together to combat this enemy if it ever came to such a thing. This did not go exactly as smoothly as the Concord hoped for, as Hudson was pretty resistant to the idea of trusting information coming from the Concord in any capacity - nonetheless fighting beside them against anything or anybody. Leaving the bunker with what was a partial failure or partial success depending on ones viewpoint, nothing conclusive was put into motion for a followup between the two factions. As Novak and his small group made their way back to the LATC, they found that one of the DELTA soldiers who remained behind had been killed, and they were then met with an extremely panicky and paranoid 2C ATLAS soldier blaming the killing on a New Union SHADOW unit. The situation became rather tense as members of the New Union arrived on the scene, and guns were pulled on soldiers of each side. In a somewhat embarrassing spectacle, the ATLAS soldier was eventually calmed by one 3C Robins, a DELTA who had accompanied Novak, and the ATLAS was convinced to board the LATC and depart. Unsure of who exactly had killed the DELTA soldier, the Concord envoy took flight and returned to the Vesuvius. Sultanate Embassy After the events surrounding Cassandra Welland and her mutagen, as well as getting to fight alongside the Concords Valkyr against the Dominion - Sultan Aljashe and a few others among his leadership decided to attempt pursuing better, closer relations with the Terra Concord. In many ways, the cultures of the two groups were worlds apart. However, strides toward common ground began with the personal understandings made between Aljashe, and those such as Welland and 30082. The Valkyr Troopers in particular left a favorable impression on the Sultanates warriors in their fight against the Dominion, as the warriors were especially impressed with the valor of the Valkyr. The Valkyr soldiers where appropriate showed little reservation in drawing blades and closing with the enemy - and this resonated with the Sultanates favored way of fighting. Many of the Valkyr found they were mutually impressed with the Sultanate warriors melee skill, fervor for battle, and peculiar displays of mutant abilities used to dispatch Dominion soldiers. While the remains of battle were being cleaned and sorted through, warriors of the Sultanate got to speak at length with various Valkyr and standard soldiers of the CAF. Understandably, some in the Concord found the insectoids appearance a little too off putting and were in no particular hurry to get close to them. The majority, however, found appreciation at least for their combative abilities and spectacular or simply bizarre appearances. From the once again aloft Skytower, White gave a long address to the Concord, which mentioned to any and all listening the existence of the Sultanate, and the intention of White and the CAF to work with them against the Dominion. She laid out rather bluntly that the insectoids were, unquestionably, mutants - but gave a small amount of credit to their ability to fight, weave, construct, and make forms of art. It was after this that a building in the Heart District that had previously gone unused became the Concord's first official embassy - the Scorpion Sultanate embassy. A handful of insectoids were transported to the Concord via LATC, and given access to the building. Oddly enough, one of the lead ambassadors representing the Sultanate was not actually an insectoid at all, but instead, 30082, who had come to befriend Aljashe, and now had ties to and an understanding of both factions. The reception to the new embassy and it's inhabitants has had mixed results. The insectoids have not actually left the embassy all that often, and when they do, they've covered their strange appearances with robes and headdresses. Even though many of the civilians and soldiers remain cautious and skeptical, there is one group in the Concord who has little to no reservations about barging into the embassy and ogling over the insectoids. As it would turn out, the children and teenagers of the Concord, few in number as they are, are absolutely fascinated by the mutated members of the Sultanate. Random groups of Concord children, sometimes numbering in the dozens, have repeatedly entered the embassy just to talk to and get a look at the various ambassadors, with no real matters of business or serious questions on their mind. While the occasional Concord officer has strongly encouraged or outright ordered the children to move along - the Sultanate ambassadors often tell the Concord officials not to worry, and seem fairly hospitable to the curiosities and shenanigans of the Concords children. A handful of parents have forbidden their children from entering, and even petitioned Concord officials to not allow this sort of thing - but this seems to be the minority. Finding the Archivists A few days after the Vesuvius landed at home base, small group of those in the Concord returned once more to the archivist cabin, with the intention of escorting Moria Vanders there safely. The group consisted chiefly of Captain Smith, Guardian Malone and a newly promoted, re-instated Guardian Paige Hatfield, whilst being lead by Moria. Paige accompanied the group for mostly personal matters, given permission to do so by General White. The rest intended to reconvene with the Archivists, and relay to Phantom that the war between the Archivists and Sultanate should be over. Throughout this experience, Guardian Hatfield made her disagreements and conflicts toward Captain Smith very clear, arguing against the Concord's control over what she considered was a personal mission. Upon reaching the frozen lake just before the cabin, the group was met with a massive black circle that had melted most of the ice, scorched where it didn't melt, and continued to billow vapors up from the water below. A little further through the fog, the archivist cabin had been burned out, doors smashed in, and the insides of the building torn through, with nobody inside. Moria in particular was wrought with grief, brought into a state of panic. Smith and Malone, suspecting Dominion involvement, called for reinforcement via LATC to secure the area with, the zone being deemed highly dangerous. Eventually Paige calmed Moria, and the two, feeling that the Concord wasn't moving fast enough went off alone, searching for clues as to where the Archivists went or what exactly happened. Initially what they found were corpses frozen in the snow in various states, one of which had been nothing but a skeleton burnt over by some kind of acid. The other bodies, not decaying due to the cold, Moria identified as fellow archivists, and these suffered pulse weapon wounds, blade slashes, and some were embedded with barbs and stingers. Based on this evidence, the notion was floated that some of these clues were more insectoid than Dominion. The two later also discovered a few crashed snow mobiles, which Moria recognized as belonging to the archivists. At some point, Smith and Malone caught up with Paige and Moria, displeased with Paige's actions but offering protection during their search in order to maintain cohesion. Moria led the squad on a whim to a shack a ways from the cabin that the archivists may have passed through on their escape from the area. What they found was the cabin blasted apart, but not burnt, as though no explosion had done it. Standing where the doorway should have been, a tall and odd shaped figure stood frozen in a casing of indigo colored ice-crystal material. Upon further investigation, it seemed to share traits similar to both a Havoc Autonetic, and an insectoid. It was here the Concord team opted to temporarily leave the area, return to the Capital, and more intensely examine the clues they had so far gathered. News of this tragedy reached the likes of Captain Liveth and Welland, who looked into, and discussed the matter extensively. Studies of the clues gathered by both Liveth and Paige revealed various bits of information - not all of which was immediately shared with the other. An audio recording that was recovered appeared to suggest that Gideon, an archivist, and Phantom, had encountered Dominion autonetics and a voice that was almost certainly Akezera's, identified as such by Moria. When Welland learned of this information, she thought it appropriate to inform Aljashe, and request his assistance in investigating the matter. Aljashe was transported from the Skytower to the Capital via Concord LATC, and met with Welland in Liveths lab. They reviewed what information they had, and decided it best to return to Channing Valley, the place where Akezera was killed and buried. The group consisting of the same members as the ones who had gone to the cabin reformed, and set out for Channing Valley. Upon returning there, the Concord made a number of discoveries, though most had little to do with Akezera. Akezeras burial sight had been disturbed, and a handful of desiccated corpses, belonging to scavengers, were found near it. Beyond that, Channing's former manor had been populated by the New Union and turned into an outpost, and the town that was previously being picked apart by crazed miners was now much quieter, instead in the hands of a different faction. This group had a brief interaction with Welland, and called themselves the Ameliorate Gestalt, using mostly former Dominion equipment and revealing some kind of ideological affinity for technology. For whatever reason, they were tending to the ill and wounded residents of the town, and preparing to load them into vehicles and take them away. Not caring to brush into the New Union and feeling they got what information they could, the Concord departed and headed back for the Archivist lodge to continue their search. Their primary mission was to locate and secure Phantom as soon as possible with the help of their primary lead and asset, Moria Vanders and clues around the region. Upon arrival, they immediately tackled the what they called the "dark energy gape" outside the lodge, a specialized ATLAS survey crew moving in with drones to take samples of materials and contaminants within for study. Paige Hatfield went MIA and refused to respond to any radio contact, putting the crew on edge. Thankfully by that time, Moria arrived with Aljashe and immediately began leading Welland, Aljashe, Liveth and Parr toward the site where they found the sealed Autonetic Insectoid specimen. Once they arrived Paige was there, seemingly having taken investigative measures into her own hands, having been studying the scene extensively before they arrived. Unfortunately for the Concord, the specimen once sealed in indigo ice had shattered, leaving them at a loss for further examining it. Welland, due to some internal complication with her new mutagen which she had chosen to keep, suddenly made a mad dash away from the main group into the forest with no explanation. Following this, Liveth and Paige's continued "disagreements" about how to find Phantom continue to worsen, becoming so dysfunctional that Paige broke off from the Concord, running off into the wilderness, convincing Moria to come along with her. With lack of a lead, the Garrison had no choice but to regroup and re-assess the situation. A vicious blizzard set in, the Concord finding themselves divided between a camp at the former lodge, and an expeditionary group headed by Liveth that took shelter in an old stone villa. Liveth began to talk of venturing out alone to find Welland. Aljashe, while unable to follow along due to his inherent difficulties traversing the cold, suggested that Parr should go along incase anything were to happen. Parr was also quite willing, and so Liveth and Parr set out of the villa and wandered in the blizzard. They came across a treeline radiant with peculiar energies, which seemed to take them either deeper into the frigid woods, or to another arctic forest entirely. They came across several crystalline figures, hallucinations perhaps, or otherwise ghostly figures composed of ice and vapors that resembled Valkyr. These visions displayed a particular set of events to Liveth and Parr, though Parr was distracted partially by internal turmoils of his own that manifested in this place. Eventually the two found Welland, who was laying in the snow, having altered almost entirely into her spider-like insectoid form. They were then approached behind from an enormous figure, bearing a modified DCA armor and adorned with Dominion colored cyan lights and energies. The figure demanded that Liveth and the Concord should hand over Aether, and Liveth and this individual exchanged heated words for a time. Feeling as though it were being talked in circles by Liveth, the conversation eventually became a fight, with the figure ordering his two accompanying HAVOC elites to terminate Liveth, Parr, and Welland. Liveth and the Dominion figure dueled one another, while Parr took on the two HAVOC elites, trying to protect the incapacitated Welland from them all the while. The figure did serious damage to Liveth, pressing until Liveth released an immense buildup of energy inside himself, which incapacitated the Dominion figure temporarily. Parr held his ground as best he could in a two on one fight, trying to wrangle the attentions of the HAVOCs while also simply trying to stay alive. These two HAVOC elites seemed particularly skilled and resilient, outmatching Parr's extensive level of training. The end result was Liveth suffering serious damage and losing his specialized canon. Parr was critically wounded, suffering several pulse shots to his right leg, and was skewered in the torso by a HAVOC which died while locked in blows with Parr, leaving its bladed arm stuck in him. Liveth managed to put all of this remaining strength to carrying Parr and Welland as swiftly out of the forest as he was able. Leaving the way he had initially came, Liveth ran through the corridor of trees, and was brought back to the region of the Archivist cabin and the stone villa. Through the blizzard, Liveth was once again able to find the villa, and brought Welland and Parr there. Parr, still clinging to life, was seen to by HORIZON who worked desperately to try and stabilize him from the gruesome wounds. Welland remained unconscious, and after some time, Liveth entered a sort of shutdown state where he could not be communicated with or reached. With the Concords leaders temporarily out of action, and the biting blizzard still strangling the region, the operation was thrown into further turmoil and uncertainty. One Valkyr Guardian, Guardian Smith, was voted to be placed in charge, and tried to formulate a plan of action. He consulted Aljashe, who seemed to advise a temporary retreat and reorganization of the whole mission. Smith ordered the few LATCs present to try and maneuver through the blizzard, and recontact the Concord for reinforcements and further direction. Meanwhile, Guardian Kaminski entered the villa, apparently having been on some personal recon assignment. Collective Philosophy "It's not just the matter of defeating the Infinite Dominion. It's a matter of ensuring we haven't defeated ourselves along the way. If we surrender our empathy, our conscience, our traditions, all in exchange for winning this war; we won't have saved anyone at all." - 00707 to Aether, discussing the Second Schism. When the Terra Concord formed from the second schism, they took with them the majority of individuals who by some extent or another were influenced by the ideology labeled 'Unity', even if they did not recognize it's tenants by this title. Generally, the thought of putting aside inter human conflict to buckle down and focus on the impending Infinite Dominion threat was agreeable enough and widely accepted. What some eventually realized is this would not be enough on its own. The New Union was certainly capable of putting down internal physical conflict and preparing its people for a war, but in doing so it began to sacrifice certain other aspects of society. JUDGE units, and by extension 08292, constantly under the influence of the UAD chemical, were known for making ethically questionable decisions and nearly always favoring aggressive efficiency over morality, often at the expense of other New Union members. The means and methods of attaining 'Order, Stability, and Peace' took a backseat so long as these three things were eventually achieved. And with so many of these arch-units in power, their mindsets gradually began to shape the New Union from one side, while those of the Valkyries and the VT began to shape the other. Figures such as Aether and Liveth began to have concerns against this blunt black and white judgment early on. Others, such as 00707, were aware of the growing issue, but tolerated or neglected to address it, in fear of intensive backlash or even civil war. Eventually the distinct ideological differences came to a head over the violent treatment of Agnost by 08292 after her dark energy outbreak. Two paths were present in dealing with her. She could be treated only as her present threat, killed or imprisoned permanently to ensure order. Or, she could be viewed with her past heroism and efforts in the New Unions favor into consideration, and spared any sort of violence in an effort to continue to search for a cure to her ailment. 08292 drew the line himself, and the underlying tensions of the contrasting groups beliefs could no longer be ignored. 00707 and the Divisionals parted their ways here, vowing to no longer sacrifice or ignore their conscience in the name of 'order.' They would no longer only strive to ensure humanity physically survived, but to keep their sense of morality intact along the way, no matter how difficult or inefficient it may prove to be. Technology Built upon the advancements of both past Unions, when the second schism occurred, several talented innovative and technical minds went with the Terra Concord, 58132 and Liveth included. While the Terra Concord had to abandon the New Unions established labs and production facilities, they were able to find suitable replacements relatively quickly in their new HQ. Between the ATLAS and HORIZON division, as well as the Valkyr science team, both given elevated levels of freedom to cooperate and work on various projects; The Terra Concord has underwent several advancements in all fields. Some of the most rapid and impressive developments have occurred particularly in weapons and armor development. Economy & Markets Food & Beverage Production Crops While anomalies in the atmosphere have caused small regions in the Concords territory to be quite a lot warmer than typical, as well as at different than normal times of the year, by and large the Concord's territory is as cool and cold as the region has always generally been. Biomes in the Concord range from Temperate to Boreal, and as such, farming is limited given the tendency of regular crops to die in the cold and the difficulties of planting in partially frozen soil. The majority of Concord crops are hardy, resilient, and generally not well liked vegetables, such as kale, collards, and spinach. There are also ample swathes of land dedicated to potatoes, corn, soy beans, and carrots. Hunting An advantage of the Boreal regions that cover much of the Concord is that they are teeming with wildlife, especially deer, elk, and moose. The colder regions of North America appear not to draw as much Riftient activity as say the Rend or other warmer areas, and as such, populations of certain popular hunting game were left to explode in the sudden absence of human hunters over two decades. For such a technologically advanced society, there is a surprisingly large amount of business in the Concord composed of simple game hunting. There is also the less common part of hunting in the Concord which focuses on the rare Riftients found in the region, or otherwise mutated species crossed with Riftient creatures and Earthen ones. Occasionally these are sought out either as trophy's, or for research, and fetch high prices. They are however exceedingly rare and almost always dangerous. Herding The majority of domestic farm animals from before the war had their populations decimated, and those that didn't were left without owners to become feral. Some creatures became comparatively more feral than others. Through traditional means and technology, the Concord has been attempting to restore many of these creatures. Efforts have been made to simply locate, wrangle, and tame herds and individuals of feral former herd animals, and though this is much easier to attempt, is typically less successful, and sometimes dangerous. The other prong of this effort is via the Hearth Institute, which attempts to use DNA and DNA samples preserved from before the war to try and artificially reverse the changes to once domestic animals and make them as they were before. As such, any records, samples, or stores of DNA work regarding domestic animals able to benefit the Concord is quite valuable, as are herds of once-ferals that have somehow been tamed once again. As of 2024, the Concord has had success with two animals, and this level of success varies. The Holstein bull (or cow) was quite common in Canada as a dairy cow before the Great Rift War. Those that survived the destruction of the Dominion and various other predators over the course of 20 years grew larger horns and more muscle mass, and became a bit less suitable for producing milk. A group employed by the Tertiary Administration has been able to successfully locate and tame a few hundred of these cows from the wilds, allowing milk to occasionally show up in the Concords markets. The more successful endeavor was completed with the help of the Hearth Institute and it's labs. Partly due to studies done in regards to cloning before the war, there was a larger abundance of information and materials still salvageable from labs and research centers related to the DNA of sheep. While the Concord isn't able to clone creatures, it was able to manipulate their DNA, and with the presence of a dozen male and female feral sheep that were found and brought in, the Hearth Institute, in a significant and celebrated breakthrough, was able to replace the commonly remembered wool producing sheep. Other attempts have and will continue to be made to restore the domestication of other creatures, such as horses, dogs, and chickens, but these efforts, if successful, happen in pockets and are not yet large enough to affect the Concord greatly. Rift-Rushes Ever since the Great Rift War, Earth's atmosphere has become filled with peculiar anomalous phenomenon that doesn't seem to follow any particular pattern. One result of this is a very rarely occurring event the Concord has come to name "Rift-Rushes." A Rift-Rush occurs when an anomaly in the atmosphere causes a patch of land or even an entire region to drastically change in climate for a period of time. Sometimes, abnormal climate patterns simply cause the temperatures and amount of rainfall to change. In other instances, it seems that invisible portals spring up, actually creating a channel between some region in the Concord, and a warmer part of earth, randomly sending over debris, minerals, plants, and animals that aren't native to the Concords forests. This, in turn, attracts several dozen people to the affected region. These changes in climate tend to last somewhere between a few days and so far up to 10 months, which can be very profitable, or very devastating depending on where they strike. The handling of these instances tends to be very situational, depending on who owns the land and what was already there before the Rift-Rush occurred. Private land owners have leased altered regions to farmers and herders. If the land is Government owned, the Concord has held lotteries for the first few dozen qualified people to work the area. In other instances, the drastic change in climate is quite destructive, and the Concord Government has assisted in relocating those affected. Research and Development Electronics Bio-Medical / Pharmaceutical Salvaging Construction Clothing Due to the rarity of places that cotton can grow within the Concord, Concordian clothing and armors tend to be made of alternative materials. Much of these, due to the Concords technological prowess, are synthetic fibers, stretched to a quantity and quality beyond typical capacity. With the Concord housing herds of sheep and the general climate the Concord occupies being cold, wool is abundant and more common in the Concord than cotton was in the old world. Much of it, however, is blended with synthetic materials to accommodate the needs of the Concords large population, and make wool based clothing affordable. The result of this is many who live in the city putting off a sort of neo-1860's North American Civil War - style. Entirely "organic" clothing, especially cotton is, among pockets of civilians, a small symbol of status. The other large material for clothing in the Concord is polyester, and similar synthetic fibers, which can be made entirely in a lab or production facility. For those more rural or who simply appreciate the "look", buckskins have also made a sizable reappearance due to the relative ease of access to them. The Bridge-Runner Market The Bridge Runners have come to be a rather large arm in holding up the colossus that is the Concord. Due to their true state of neutrality and generally accepted access through the borders of the continent, the Bridge Runners are able to export many Concord goods, and import many goods from elsewhere that the Concords civilians would simply not have access to. Whatever non-military asset the Concord lacks or isn't producing themselves, they can likely purchase it from the Bridge Runners. This mostly occurs around food, with the Runners exporting Concord products, and returning with fruits and other warm-climate favorites. While the Concord does have it's own currency, and the Tertiary Administration runs a system of credit and banking, the Concord and it's currency are an accepted member of the Bridge Runners financial system. The translation of Concord currency wherever the Bridge Runners are present is so common that some Runner clerks can do it mentally. One other fairly popular service the Bridge Runners offer is their long and short range "taxi" service. Whether it be a vehicle or a horse drawn modernized wagon, these services are typically prompt, secure, reasonably comfortable, and not all that higher in price than services offered by the Concords government. The Norguard Market Underground Market Civilian Life Housing For urban civilians, private housing is a rarity, and the majority of Concord civilians live in apartments or row homes. This was initially a simple matter of practicality with the Concord Government trying to ensure all civilians had adequate housing, erasing "suburbia" in the process, but as time goes on, the possibility for private home ownership slowly increases. When a civilian registers as a member of the CHI or CTF, depending on the position they fill and the hours a week they spend filling it, the CHI or CTF will often take care of housing for said civilian. This usually occurs in the form of an apartment voucher or pass. Apartments deep within the city tend to be funded by and connected to government institutions. As such, many reflect the sort of military barracks feeling of the CAF locations next to or nearby them. They are plainly furnished, usually quite clean, quick to fix serious issues, and not tremendously expensive. Apartment buildings run by more private owners vary, from expensive and quite comfortable to very cheap and somewhat questionable. If one really wanted a house of their own, they could venture out to the rural ends of the Concord, where simple farm houses are common. Travel As far as the realm of Civilian transport and travel, the Concord reflects former Western European nations more than North American ones. Independent motor-vehicle ownership is a rarity. In the larger cities, there exists a very modern network of public transport, such as trolleys, buses, and small trains, all which run on light energy batteries and/or electric grids. So far these have proven quite efficient. Alternatively in the city, there are newly manufactured energy cell powered mopeds for those that can afford them. For those that can't or simply don't want to - there is still the humble bicycle, with the sort of Concord-metal flare that makes it look a bit more technologically advanced than it really is. In rural areas, most independently owned vehicles have either been restored from scavenging efforts, or purchased as outdated excess from the CAF. For long distance civilian travel within the Concords borders, the Concord government does run a handful of passenger trains between cities. These, however, tend to have long queue times, and for the moment, somebody who wants to travel on said train in December should probably reserve their seat in October. Outside of the Concords borders, there is a growing number of travelers going back and forth between the Concord and the Norguard Confederacy. Generally, the Concord government doesn't bother itself too much with the affairs of those going outward. It does, however, check for some kind of ID for those returning - such as a CHI or CTA registration. Loosing such ID is not the end of the world, and generally is resolved by CAF forces on the border contacting HQ for information on the civilian in question or simply contacting the civilians stated employer to clear up who they really are. Entertainment & Media 191.9 OZZ.FM Mostly a station for entertainment and music, OZZ.FM is hosted by the charismatic hippy-host, Ozzie Undermier, who ran a similar talk and music radio program in City 33. The station mostly plays hit songs from the 70's and 80's, with a daily (often inaccurate) weather report, and Ozzie's two cents on the occasional major event. Ozzie regularly asks listeners to bring in good music, offering to pay them money when they do. There's also the occasional ad for listeners to come and "take a moon mission" at his dance club - whatever that entails. The Concord Chronicle The Concord Chronicle is a very recent and quite small traditional newspaper owned and operated by one Franklin McCormick. Franklin, a former detective with the NYPD, now acts as both a private detective and journalist operating out of a building in the heart district. His articles largely focus on crimes, politics, and whatever tips or issues the people leave for him in his tip bin. Education = Category:Factions Category:Terra Concord